WebLab-Deusto [TARET3]

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IntroductionBuilding a Remote Lab

WebLab-DeustoFuture work

Questions

WebLab-Deusto

Pablo Orduna

DeustoTech - Tecnologico Fundacion Deusto

July 16th, 2009

TARET 2009, Maribor (Slovenia) and Villach (Austria)

Pablo Orduna WebLab-Deusto

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Introduction

Introduction

So, what are we going to talk about?

We are going to talk about the WebLab-Deusto project

It aims to provide software for the Remote Labs developers, byproviding an experiment-agnostic framework

This is more or less the idea of the talk:

First, brief analysis of the requirements of a Remote LabWe will focus in several aspects that are interesting for RemoteLabs developersThen, show WebLab-Deusto approachFinally, discuss :-)


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Introduction

Introduction







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Introduction

Introduction







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ProblemBasic requirementsTechnologies

Problem

So, let’s start by detailing the problem


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Problem

This guy here is Dr. Emmet L.Brown

You might remember him fromBack to the future I, II or III


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Problem

This guy here is Dr. Emmet L.Brown

You might remember him fromBack to the future I, II or III


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Problem

He has a superb experiment, thathe wishes to share with somestudents


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Tentative solution

So, since he has some IT background, he decides to build theRemote Lab himself

For that, he builds this architecture


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Tentative solution

So, since he has some IT background, he decides to build theRemote Lab himself

For that, he builds this architecture


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Tentative solution

Result: a cool Remote Lab that he can use from the Internet!


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Basic requirements

Now, he wants many students to use it.

It’s not a problem! You can just let anybody use it!

Ok, that’s an approach, Doc.

Want to grant access only to certain people?Want to know who broke it?Want to measure accesses, from which courses?


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Basic requirements






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Basic requirements






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Basic requirements






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Basic requirements






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Basic requirements

Well, I can program that!

You only need a database andthat’s it!


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Basic requirements

True, but:

Secure layers? Certificates?Password hashing? SQL/XPath/ Injection attacks?Integration through LDAP/etc.?

Doc, do you really have the knowledge, time or interest inimplementing that?


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Basic requirements

True, but:




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Basic requirements

True, but:




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Basic requirements

True, but:




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Basic requirements

True, but:




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Basic requirements

And what about scalability?

Too many people?Balancing load?Degradation?


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Basic requirements




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Basic requirements




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Basic requirements




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Basic requirements

Of course!

I have the same program twice intwo different servers, and somestudents will use one and other theothers


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Basic requirements

And will you, Doc, maintain those servers?

Security policies?Upgrading the system?Upgrading the configuration?. . .Does it even make sense? Is not IT services’ work?

What if you need more and more experiments?


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Basic requirements





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Technologies

And what about technologies?

Each client technology hasadvantages and drawbacksWhich one did you choose, Doc?


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Technologies

LabVIEW

Advantages: powerful and easy!Disadvantages

Install the runtime!if you can: platforms, admin. . .


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Technologies

LabVIEW

Advantages: powerful and easy!Disadvantages

Install the runtime!if you can: platforms, admin. . .


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Technologies

Java applets: advantages

Powerful!Outside the sandbox:

FilesConnections to other hostsYou can do what you want!


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Java applets: disadvantagesInstall the runtime

Admin rights?Correct version?

Slow loadOutside the sandbox:

Risks!Expired certificates?Lack of secure layer? → man in the middle attack!!!Hack the server → you’ll hack the students


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Technologies






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Technologies


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Adobe Flash: advantages

Fast, visual, powerful and securePlugin, available in most platforms, widely spreaded


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Adobe Flash: advantages

Fast, visual, powerful and securePlugin, available in most platforms, widely spreaded


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Adobe Flash: disadvantages

Mainly: single providerStill a plugin


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Technologies

Adobe Flash: disadvantages

Mainly: single providerStill a plugin


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AJAX: advantages

Many providersNo installation is requiredSecurity


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AJAX: advantages



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AJAX: advantages



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AJAX: disadvantages

Did you say video? Or evenaudio?Networking? Where are mysockets?!?!Development effort


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AJAX: disadvantages



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Technologies

AJAX: disadvantages



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Technologies

More technologies: Microsoft Silverlight. . .

No technology is perfect

Although everyday they are better (HTML5. . . )

But it’s not such a trivial decision

We already talked about this in our chapter of the followingbook:

https://www.weblab.deusto.es/joomla/imoprl/book.htmlChapter 3, unfortunately quite outdated now (July 2007)


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FocusWebLab-Deusto ArchitectureXWLResults

Requirements

So Doc, you’re working too much

Reuse solutions for requirements!

ScalabilityMaintainabilitySecurityClient deploymentAuthentication, authorizationLogs of the systemDependence on the protocolSOA complianceIntegration in LMSs. . .


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Requirements

So Doc, you’re working too much

Reuse solutions for requirements!

ScalabilityMaintainabilitySecurityClient deploymentAuthentication, authorizationLogs of the systemDependence on the protocolSOA complianceIntegration in LMSs. . .


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What to do?

But then, what should I do?


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WebLab-Deusto approach

Following the WebLab-Deusto approach, focus on theexperiment development

You’re the expert thereLeave other decisions to the underlying framework


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WebLab-Deusto approach

Following the WebLab-Deusto approach, focus on theexperiment development

You’re the expert thereLeave other decisions to the underlying framework


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WebLab-Deusto 3 architecture

In WebLab-Deusto, system administrator:

manages users, groups, permissionsdeploymentprotocols between servers. . .

Experiment developer: only “experiment server”


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What to do?

Ok, but what do I have to dothere?


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Just the experiment!

You only need to write the experiment code

The client (any web technology)The server (any technology supporting XML-RPC -Java,.NET, Python, LabVIEW. . . -)


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Any technology?


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But how?

But how? What do I have to write?


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Operations

Very simple operations:1 start2 dispose3 String sendCommand(String)4 String sendFile(byte [], String)

Subject to very little changes


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Only that?

Only that? And where are thecommunications?


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Let us work on that

Right now, we use SOAP, but we have almost finishedXML-RPC and JSON

We know that Doc needs speedso we’ll support sockets through Flash soon

if Flash is availableno firewall

Anyway, doc, you shouldn’t need to know it!

Software changes a lot, and optimizations in the underlyinglayers will make your life easier :-)


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Let us work on that







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Let us work on that







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Show it!

Demos

Java appletJava experiment serverLabVIEW experiment server(experimental!)


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That was easy!

Well, that was easy!

So, what are you working on themoment?


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That was easy!

Well, that was easy!

So, what are you working on themoment?


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Future work

Future work - More requirements

Some requirements not met by current version

Other schedules schemasSupport of XML-RPC, JSON and sockets inside thearchitecture when possibleMore experiments to validate the interface


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Future work

Future work - LMSs!

Integration in LMSs!

Check the s-Labs project and work done by Elio Sancristobal etal!http://www.ieec.uned.es/Investigacion/sLabs/Check Jaime’s presentation too!


http://www.ieec.uned.es/Investigacion/sLabs/

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Future work

Future - Licensing

Open Source and Commercial Support

Right now the software can not be downloaded :-(A spin-off (Edooca) has been set up, and will start workingsoon

Make the project Open SourceOffer commercial support for WebLab-Deusto


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Future work

Future - Licensing

Open Source and Commercial Support

Right now the software can not be downloaded :-(A spin-off (Edooca) has been set up, and will start workingsoon

Make the project Open SourceOffer commercial support for WebLab-Deusto


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Questions

Questions

Questions?

[email protected]


Technology

WebLab-Deusto [TARET3]